87 - Robert Combas (born in 1957)

Robert Combas (born in 1957) Marylin Watergate 2000 Mixed media and glitter on paper in a frame and under glass decorated by the artist, titled "By painting ladies on men dressed as women, I’m doing what some women dream of doing one fine day to get a pussy and real tits” and dated on a label on the back Included is the catalog for the Marylin Combas exhibition, June 18–July 21, 2000, and its CD-ROM, numbered 217; 57 x 77.5 cm Exhibitions: > Le Mur “à l’emporte-pièce,” Rachlin Lemarié Gallery, Beaubourg, FIAC 2000, October 24–30, 2000. This painting illustrates the striking aesthetic of Figuration Libre, a movement of which the artist has been the undisputed leader in France since the early 1980s. The composition centers on a portrait of Marilyn Monroe reimagined as a mythological figure, her bluish face framed by green hair reminiscent of Medusa. True to his habit of saturating the space, Combas incorporates numerous handwritten inscriptions, numbers, and a motley assortment of iconographic elements that interweave American pop culture, the Watergate political scandal, and references to art history. The work stands out for its use of thick black outlines, electric colors, and a frame painted and embellished with glitter by the artist himself, becoming one with the artwork to deliver a satirical, joyful, and resolutely rock-and-roll critique of media society.